Parenting & Pregnancy >
Feeding & Breastfeeding
Get a Widget for this title
RSS FeedThe appropriate time to quit baby formula: Six months or one year?
Results so far:
| Six months | 26% | 40 votes | Total: 155 votes | |
| One year | 74% | 115 votes |
Six months
Write now
Print
Invite a writer™
Add to FavoritesIn the mid-1980s, pediatricians recommended that an infant not be given solid food until at least six months of age; this was also the age at which an infant could switch to whole milk. By the early 1990s, doctors had relaxed the standards for solid food to age four months, and by the late 1990s, to two or three months.
Of course, grandmothers the world 'round have been telling new moms to put a dab of rice cereal into a baby's bottle - to help him sleep better - for decades, and working mothers who nurse often fly against the grain of conventional wisdom by stopping breastfeeding at four or six weeks.
So which way, or ways, of feeding a baby is correct?
Mom's choice.
No child will die if the switch to whole milk is made at six months, versus twelve. No child will suffer unimaginable diseases or stunted growth or loss of immunity to whatever latest dire epidemic is imminent.
If even learned pediatricians, and other medical professionals, can't agree and continuously change their minds, why should there be an argument? Some parents choose to breastfeed, some choose the bottle; some advocate co-sleeping, some wouldn't dream of putting their child at risk in this manner. Some homeschool, and some still believe in the public school system.
True, some parents believe in starvation, neglect, and abuse, and that doesn't make these things right but we're talking about a few months' difference, and nearly equal nutritional value.
Whole milk contains the same amount of fat as infant formula, and 40% less saturated fat; whole milk is slightly higher in sugar, cholesterol, and sodium content, but lower in carbs. It has less vitamin A, C, and iron, but nearly twice the calcium. Even when taking into consideration all the other vitamins and minerals, whole milk still has almost the same nutritional value as infant formula.
Things that may be lacking, such as vitamin C, can be added to a baby's diet in the form of juice - most small ones drink this as a supplement to formula anyway.
The important word is appropriate; it is certainly appropriate to switch a baby from formula to whole milk at age six months, just as it's appropriate for a parent to care for his child as he sees fit, whether that involves feeding, diapering, potty-training, or discipline. The baby will lose nothing by making the switch, and parents will enjoy the convenience of less mixing, fewer expenses, and more room in the fridge and pantry.
Learn more about this author, Robin Tidwell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
One year
First of all, we need to understand the purpose of baby formula. It was created as a substitute for breast milk in situations when mothers didn't produce enough milk, or if they couldn't breastfeed for medical reasons. There is no arguments that breast milk is the best for a baby. American Academy of Pediatrics, La Leche League, FDA, and other health organizations recommend breastfeeding until the baby is 12 to 24 months old. Recommendations for feeding a baby formula as a main source of nourishment are the same. That means you cannot just cut it out as soon as your baby turns 6 months old.
It is true that around five to six months of age baby's nutritional needs start to change and most babies are ready to take in some solid food. It is recommended to start with rice cereal (mixed in proportion of one teaspoon of cereal to 4 to 5 teaspoons of formula), since it is the least likely to cause any allergic reaction. Do not add the cereal to the bottle. Instead, prop the baby up in a high chair and feed with a spoon (once or twice a day). This is the very beginning of introducing a baby to a different way of eating and you still need to give your baby about 4 bottles (32 ounces) of formula a day. After the baby gets used to eating with the spoon and is swallowing well, you can make the cereal a little thicker and also add other foods, like: pured fruits and vegetables.
If your baby has no problems gaining weight, around 8 to 9 months of age schedule regular meal times, lets say three a day. Feed solid food first, before offering the bottle, and then let the baby fill up on formula. The amount of formula will not lessen all that much, because the baby is larger and requires more food in general and secondly, because of growth spurts.
Around 12 months of age your baby should be able to eat soft finger foods like: soft cheese, well cooked pasta, soft cooked vegetables (potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc), and ground meat. This is the time to start switching from formula to regular milk. If your baby refuses to drink milk, because of the sudden change in taste, you may need to switch gradually.
There is an issue: even if the baby tolerates cheese and yogurt, she might have a problem with cow's milk. Cow's milk isn't the easiest to digest. And even as an infant a baby could have a problem with milk based formula. Many babies are lactose intolerant, although grow out of it later. In that case you can give her soy based toddler formula until she reaches the age of two, or different cow's milk substitutes, like: soy milk, rice milk, or try lactose free milk.
An infant's nutritional needs are much different, than toddler's and older children's. For your baby's safety and health do not listen to your well meaning friends. Questions, like this one should not be debated on, but taken strait to the pediatrician.
Learn more about this author, Bozena Hartley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Difference of opinion? Debate now.
- Feeding & Breastfeeding
- Should every eligible parent participate in WIC?
- Is there a difference between nursery water and bottled spring water?
- Which comes first: Finger foods or spoon?
- Should everything that a baby eats be sterilized?
- Should babies be put on feeding schedules or fed on demand?
- Should women be allowed to breastfeed in public areas?
